A Practical Guide to Marine Voyage Data Recorders for Newbuilds ...

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5 CHAPTER 5 Protected Data Capsules The final recording medium must be installed in a protected capsule of either a fixed or float-free type. In both cases, the unit must maintain the recorded data for a period of at least two years following termination of recording, and be of a highly visible color and marked with retro-reflective material. The capsule must be capable of being accessed following an incident but secure against tampering. For a fixed data capsule installation, the following survivability specifications apply to both VDR and S-VDR: • Impact shock – 50g for 11 milliseconds • Fire – 1100°C for 1 hour and 260°C for 10 hours • Deep sea pressure and immersion – 24 hours at 6.000 meters depth, and 30 days at 3 meters depth The VDR specification also requires the following: • Penetration – 250 kg mass dropped 3 meters impacting with 100 mm diameter pin The fixed capsule must have a release mechanism to facilitate recovery underwater by a diver or ROV, and must be equipped with an acoustic underwater beacon with a battery life of at least 30 days. For a float-free capsule (S-VDR only), the following specifications apply: • Homing transmitter operating on 121.5 MHz • Flashing light • Capable of resolving and transmitting position with a minimum of 4 seconds of arc • Battery life of at least 7 days for transmitter Fixed or Float-Free The choice between a fixed or float-free capsule will be governed by a range of factors. On the one hand, the fixed capsule is designed for a higher level of survivability, meeting more stringent specifications for shock, immersion and fire, and a longer battery life of 30 days, as contrasted with 7 days for the float-free capsule. It also typically has a lower installed cost than the float-free device. On the other hand, the float-free capsule offers easier, faster and lower-cost recovery in the event of a sinking, eliminating the need for a submersible ROV or divers to descend to the ship and retrieve the device. But the float-free device does not meet the same standards for fire resistance, and could be destroyed if the ship burns. Moreover, there may be concerns about the ability of the capsule to float free unhindered if the ship should roll over. The float-free system will also probably have higher installation and life-cycle costs due to the need for a hydrostatic release mechanism, battery replenishment, testing on Cospas-Sarsat frequencies and more frequent replacement. The float-free capsule may also eliminate the requirement for a separate EPIRB. 12 13
6 CHAPTER 6 Ownership and Recovery of VDR Data At its 75th session in 2002, the IMO Marine Safety Committee approved guidelines on VDR ownership and recovery. These guidelines are the same for both VDR and S-VDR. The shipowner will, in all circumstances and at all times, own the VDR and its information. In the event of an accident, the owner of the ship should make available and maintain all decoding instructions necessary to recover the recorded information. Recovery of the VDR information should be undertaken as soon as possible to preserve the evidence. As the investigator is unlikely to be in a position to instigate this action immediately after the accident, the owner must be responsible, through onboard standing orders, for ensuring the timely preservation of this evidence. If the vessel is abandoned during an emergency, the master should – where time and other responsibilities permit – take the necessary steps to preserve the VDR information until it can be passed to the investigator. If the VDR data has not been retrieved prior to abandonment, the flag state will have to decide whether it is practical and cost-effective to retrieve the capsule. If it is decided to recover the VDR, the investigator should be responsible for coordinating its recovery. In all circumstances during the course of an investigation, the investigator should have custody of the original VDR information. The investigator will be responsible to arrange downloading and readout of the information and should keep the shipowner fully informed. In some cases the assistance of specialist expertise may be required. A copy of the VDR information must be provided to the shipowner at an early stage. Further access to the information will be governed by the applicable domestic legislation of the flag state and other states involved. Any disclosure of VDR information is governed by Section 10 of the Code for the Investigation of Marine Casualties and Incidents. Removable Memory Module In many cases, such as a minor collision or grounding in which the ship does not sink, it may not be desirable to go to the expense of retrieving data from the protective capsule. The Sperry Marine VoyageMaster II VDR and S-VDR contain a removable memory module (RMM), which records weeks of data on an industrial-hardened disk drive. The RMM can easily be removed from the computer for data analysis. The data is extracted from the RMM using Firewire cable, PC and the VoyageMaster II playback software. 14 15
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